Dear Editor,
In a letter which appeared in the news media on October 27, the writer expressed concern that the Government is building a large port at Parika on the Essequibo River to accommodate ocean going vessels without first undertaking a feasibility study to determine its viability. The writer and all Guyanese need to be concerned that a project of this size and cost is being undertaken without a feasibility study which would have determined among other factors its social, economic and financial justification and hence its viability. If the funds to build this Project had to be borrowed from external sources, it would have never materialized without a feasibility study being carried out as investors need information that gives them the assurance that their investments will be repaid on time and with a handsome profit.
A port with the relevant facilities at Parika will no doubt be good for development of the Essequibo County but it has to be cost effective and not become a financial burden on Guyanese as the rehabilitated Skeldon Sugar Project has been.
A feasibility study would have examined all aspects of the port project at Parika including its design, engineering, economic, financial and social elements and recommend as to whether the project is viable or not provided that the study is undertaken by reputable and qualified consultants. The Government could have then used the recommendations given in such a study to proceed with or without the Parika Port Project as its development needs and available resources dictate.
It will be useful if readers were informed which factors were taken into consideration to get this port project off the ground, where the funding is coming from and what it will eventually cost.